Category: Jam/Progressive

Phish’s Magnaball Day 2: The Circus is the Place For Phans

With an absolutely mind blowing Day 1 under their belt, Phish carried the momentum in stride and coasted gracefully into what was the single best day of Magnaball on Saturday. Delivering four sets, including one unannounced “secret set,” which included almost an hour of free-form jazz infused improv laced with a touch of funk that lasted well into the morning, Phish came out and laid down a more than memorable first set which included a diverse blend of both classic and revamped numbers.

As Phish took the stage for their first set of the second day of the festival the weather and the crowd could not have been better. It seemed as if the majority of the crowd was fairly responsible on Friday night and opted out of late night partying into the sunrise in order to be full force for the marathon day that was Saturday; however, this likely wasn’t the case for everyone. Nonetheless, from where the NYS Music crew was planted, the crowd was in full swing and the energy was at an all time high for the day set.

Walking out on the stage, Phish opened up with “Divided Sky,” the crowd was instantaneously locked into a dancing groove as the range of this song truly captivated the masses. One of the most beautiful live music experiences a fan can have is when they get so lost in their own dance moves – that when they do finally take a peek out of the corner of their eye, they’re embedded in a sea of dancing people locked into a developing wave of unison. That feeling of not being alone is invaluable and that energy is absolutely unparalleled. Take yourself back to some of the highest moments of your life; a sexual encounter, walking across the stage after graduating, landing that big job after a good interview, making a crowded room of people laugh at the same time, etc… None of it can be compared to that feeling of simply belonging as an individual in a crowd of thousands of people all enjoying the same music together.

After the band pushed through their classic staple “Divided Sky” they slammed into “Moma Dance” which whiplashed the crowd into another wave of dancing madness. Mike, Page and Trey each took their turn to step into the spotlight and lead the rest of the band through their own respected numbers as Phish went on to play “Mound”, “Army of One” and “Scabbard.” as well as the stellar “Sample in a Jar” and “Tube” before the band hit a cool down song with “Halfway to the Moon.” Page poured out an abundance of emotion and took his time to work through the core of the song with precision.

As the band was feeling the energy, “Camel Walk” surfaced and a flowing wave of dancing emanated through the crowd; the good people were feeling this song and had the moves to prove it. The new Mike song, “How Many People Are You?” one of many new songs Phish has in their arsenal when they hit the road for their 2015 Summer Tour, made an appearance again after being debuted earlier this summer. The new songs were well received by the fan base as well as the next studio album is sure to be as well.

The sweet and tender cover of “When the Circus Comes” put the entire weekend into retrospect. The place, the people, the crew, the music and the community as a whole were part of this traveling circus and the circus was the place to be. The band stepped in and out of their solos beautifully and even the composed parts of this version spoke volumes.

Closing their set with “Undermind” > “Run Like an Antelope” was full of raw energy simply foreshadowing what was yet to unfold throughout the rest of the day. This was just a small piece of the pie as a whole, but what was witnessed on the first day of Saturday was some top notch Phish and they set the stage for the brilliance of music that was planted firmly on the horizon. As the nightfall came the music only got better. When the lights are turning ‘round, the wheels were rolling on the ground.

How does one describe Saturday’s second set without gushing over the energetic jams? Phish came out for this first night set swinging. The set moved from rocking energy to extended inspired jamming. The audience was on their feet throughout the set, often kept on their toes, not knowing what to expect next.

A powerful “Wolfman’s Brother” kicked off this energetic set. It was followed quickly by the one-two punch of a short, but sweet, “Halley’s Comet” straight into a “46 Days” that starts out raging and morphs into a slower and darker than usual jam. As the jam picked back up, Anastasio patiently incorporated the opening chords of “Backwards Down the Number Line,” bringing about an incredibly smooth transition. The band gave this traditionally standard tune a bit more energy than usual, keeping up with the energy of the earlier songs.

The set was capped by a perfectly combined “Tweezer” and “Prince Caspian.” The “Tweezer,” which seems to have a little more pep than most, goes into an intricate jam, out of which comes a near-perfect segue into “Prince Caspian.” There is little one can say about this “Caspian” other than “WOW!” What is usually a breather song for the set was anything but that this time around. It starts off with far more power than anyone expected and morphs into a nearly 17 minute excursion that almost returns to “Tweezer” before the band keeps the improvisation moving.

The entire set is must-hear Phish, an example of some of the finest playing the band has performed in their current era and one of the best sets of the tour. The “Tweezer” > “Prince Caspian” segment alone is some of the best Phish ever played, with “Caspian” being one of the all time versions of the song.

By the time Saturday night’s set started, mild weariness from a lack of sleep may have set in due to the immense overall fun of Magnaball. That quickly dissipated, thanks to a killer opening section of “Meatstick” > “Blaze On” -> “Possum” > “Cities” > “Light” > “555.” Fresh off that amazing second set closing “Tweezer” > “Prince Caspian,” which, admittedly got the crowd wildly worked up, Phish came out blazing for an incredibly diverse set that featured 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 song choices.

“Meatstick” got the juices flowing with a short and fun solo from Trey. Up next, however, is the jam of the entire festival. And that’s an incredibly tough statement to make amidst a weekend packed with some of the best Phish jamming since — wait for it — 2004.

“Blaze On” has risen quickly up the ranks as the best new song the band has debuted since 2009. It’s almost like Trey is saying, “Hey guys, check it out. Look where we are now, compared to where we were years ago.” The chorus ends with, “You’ve got one life, blaze on,” which seems like an omen to the past, present and future, telling us that these first 32 years were only the beginning.

After some polite psychedelic rambling, the band kicked it into high gear around the 10-minute mark for a major key jam, paced initially by Page’s clavinet, before Trey ramped in with a somewhat haunting lick that takes the jam into a completely different direction. The final two minutes of “Blaze On” are so reminiscent of the Superball “Golden Age,” it’s actually a bit eerie. At times, it even dove into sounding like it was riddled with anxiety, which came right after a calm and uplifting segment. Either way, this jam is a total keeper.

Up next was a straightforward, but always fun take on “Possum.” where the real winner was the hypnotic segue into the decades-old song written by original band member Jeff Holdsworth. This is one hell of a segue and a must-hear for every fan. “Cities” was next, and for a minute, this was going to go the way of Philly’s jam on August 11, but it ended up sounding like a bit of a reprise of the “Blaze On” jam.

“Light” was fun for nearly 16 minutes, but it doesn’t stand out among the behemoths of Magnaball. A fun segue into the Mike Gordon-penned funk song “555” seemed a bit out of place coming out of the space “Light” left behind. “Wading in the Velvet Sea” slowed things down even more, but it was well played, especially for a Phish festival.

Closing out the set was a personal favorite, “Walls of the Cave.” While this version doesn’t stand out much on the radar, it was executed perfectly, with Trey building tension throughout the jam, before bringing the song to a raucous close. A “Boogie On Reggae Woman” and “Tweezer Reprise” encore put a cap to an almost perfect Phish set, the latter bringing the crowd into a swirling frenzy.

We all had no idea what was about to happen next…

Set 1 review by Stu Kelly, Set 2 review by Jim Rizzo, Set 3 review by Neil Benjamin, Jr.

Setlist via Phish.net

Set 1: Divided Sky, The Moma Dance > Mound, Army of One, Scabbard > Sample in a Jar, Tube, Halfway to the Moon, Camel Walk, How Many People Are You, When the Circus Comes, Undermind > Run Like an Antelope

Set 2: Wolfman’s Brother, Halley’s Comet > 46 Days -> Backwards Down the Number Line > Tweezer > Prince Caspian*

Set 3: Meatstick > Blaze On -> Possum > Cities > Light > 555, Wading in the Velvet Sea > Walls of the Cave

Encore: Boogie On Reggae Woman > Tweezer Reprise

*Unfinished.

Notes: Caspian included a Tweezer tease and was unfinished. Cities contained a Mind Left Body Jam tease.

Read about the Drive-In Set here

August 27, 2015
Phish Magnaball Day 1 Recap: A Magna-ificent Start

Phish returned to Watkins Glen International Raceway on Aug 21-23 for their 10th festival, Magnaball. The sold out event gathered more than 40,000 fans to the gorgeous hillsides of the Finger Lakes Region of New York for 3 days of camping, art and the musical jam stylings of the Vermont quartet.

Creating a small city within itself, MagnaBall offered a Ferris Wheel, onsite radio station known as The Bunny, a Post Office, a huge 183-foot movie screen, a high class restaurant serving local and organic five-course meals, interactive art installations and so much more to keep fans glad, glad, glad they had arrived. Despite being sold out, tickets could still be purchased at the gates making for a slightly hectic arrival on Thursday and Friday.

The festival started around 8pm on Friday with a perfect yet uncommon opener of “Simple” with Page tickling the notes of “Magilla” and a howling good time as the band went into “The Dogs” from their Chilling Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House Halloween set, a nod to us all that Phish and the fans are wild animals. A sincere surprise was the appearance of the beautiful, instrumental classic of “The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday” as it jumped into a strong “Avenu Malkenu” and back home again in “The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday,” which slowly led into “Free,” reaching great heights as Trey blared the rocking riffs to Mike’s hard hitting bass.

Taking a moment from the music, Trey reflected on the band’s history with their festivals and how their families have since grown in the number of children the band collectively has. Showing a bit of his ’embarrassing dad’ side, Trey shared that this day was also daughter Eliza’s birthday and requested a collective “Happy Birthday,” which the crowd happily performed as he brought her onstage.

The major bustout of the set was the short and sweet “Mock Song,” an original Mike tune that hadn’t been played since 2003 and with an appropriate lyric change of “Clifford, Super, Magnaball.” The highlight of the set that was talked about all weekend was the set closing “Bathtub Gin”. The Magna Gin was over 20 minutes long with intense, improvisational peaks of highly danceable rhythm, layers upon layers of interchangeable, bizarre melodies and a blissful, playful pace to start the festival.

Trey brings his daughter Eliza out for a happy birthday wish. ? by Patrick Jordan.

A photo posted by phishfromtheroad (@phishfromtheroad) on Aug 21, 2015 at 6:26pm PDT

We were one set deep into Phish’s 3-night, eight-set Magna-opus and the gloves were already off. You weren’t getting out of there without some pain and bruises, but you were definitely getting out alive, possibly more alive than when you entered. The summer has seen the band playing at a consistently high level, not just for 3.0, and not compared to just 2.0 or 1.0.

The band is older, the crowd is older, but the music has been reinvigorated both with new songs and new twists on old favorites that has rejuvenated all involved. A ‘Not Your Father’s’ second-set-opener of “Chalkdust Torture,” got things jumping off from the rocking shell of the song proper, and as soon as the last verse was sung we were deep into a pool of straight improvisatory gravy. That gravy would flow throughout the set, as jams became songs became jams once again, oozing together over and over into a delicious stew for over 90 minutes.

After a dark and winding “Ghost,” Velvet Underground’s “Rock and Roll” took a journey that eventually wound around to the bopping reggae groove of “Harry Hood.” They lingered patiently for a couple of minutes before launching into the “Hood” nearly everyone saw coming, giving the band another chance to showcase one of their rejuvenated songs, with a rejiggered closing section that allowed a bit more freedom. This time it meant a nifty little “Cars Trucks Buses”-esque jam preceding the typical climactic finish.

“Waste” provided a pleasant breather before more renewal was on display with the fresh off the wire “No Men in No Man’s Land.” The 2015-debuted tune is already taking on a fun rocking life of its own. There was nothing particularly new about “Slave to the Traffic Light,” sitting there in its classic set closing greatness but it stood tall and proud still, executing the dismount perfectly. Still got it! No surprises were in store with a “Farmhouse” and “First Tube” encore, but the stage was set, and the final energetic notes would dance along the Watkins Glen air for the remainder of the weekend.

Magnaball was not just some mash-up of two random words, but simply the best way to describe the current state of Phish, a band sounding as fresh as ever, even after 32 years. The first third of that definition was in the books.

Set 1 review by Susan Rice, Set 2 review by Eli Stein

Setlist via Phish.net

Set 1: Simple>The Dogs > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday> Avenu Malkenu> The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Free, The Wedge, Mock Sock, Roggae > Rift, Bathtub Gin

Set 2: Chalk Dust Torture* > Ghost -> Rock and Roll > Harry Hood -> Waste > No Men In No Man’s Land -> Slave to the Traffic Light
Encore: Farmhouse, First Tube

*Unfinished.

Notes: Page teased Magilla in Simple. TMWSIY and Avenu Malkenu were played for the first time since July 4, 2012 (124 shows). After Free, Trey asked the crowd to sing Happy Birthday to his daughter, Eliza, who briefly joined him onstage. Mock Song was played for the first time since July 12, 2003 (320 shows), and featured a lyric change to “Clifford, Super, Magnaball.” CDT contained a What’s the Use? tease and was unfinished. Hood contained a CTB tease from Mike.

August 26, 2015
Trey Anastasio Album ‘Paper Wheels’ to be Released October 30

Phish front man Trey Anastasio has announced his latest solo album, Paper Wheels, is finally available for pre-order at Trey’s store and Phish Dry Goods. The album will be released Oct. 30 and will be offered as a limited edition with only 4,000 copies.

This will be Anastasio’s third LP as a solo artist. The album was expected to be released in early 2015 but was delayed. Once the material was ready, however, the album only took a week to record.

To promote Paper Wheels, Trey Anastasio Band has announced a fall tour. The tour will kick off in Brooklyn on Oct. 16. The band will spend the rest of the tour on the West Coast, including a sold-out show in Las Vegas, and will end in Denver on Nov. 14.

Tickets for all shows will be available through a pre-sale starting at noon Aug. 27 and ending at 5 p.m. Sept. 2 at Trey’s website. Tickets will go on sale to the general public Sept. 3.

Full tour dates:

October 16-17 – Kings Theatre, Brooklyn, NY

October 30-31 – Brooklyn Bowl, Las Vegas, NV – SOLD OUT!

November 1 – House of Blues, San Diego, CA

November 4 – The Wiltern, Los, Angeles, CA

November 6-7 – Fox Theatre, Oakland, CA

November 9 – Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR

November 10 – Showbox SODO, Seattle, WA

November 12 – The Depot, Salt Lake City, UT

November 13-14 – Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, CO

August 26, 2015
Burlington Waterfront Fuels moe. Fun

You know it’s a good one when Rob’s smile is that big. moe. bassist Rob Derhak was grinning ear to ear as the sun set in a blaze of glory over the crowd gathered for Saturday night’s show at Burlington’s Waterfront Park, part of the Lake Champlain Maritime Festival.

On Friday night, moe. kicked off the weekend with a show at Higher Ground in South Burlington, late enough that fans also attending the Twiddle concert at the Waterfront could make it in time to see some of moe. (The band’s switched locations and times for their Saturday night gigs.) The box office said moe.’s Higher Ground show was sold out, but it never got too packed for fans inside the concert hall Friday night.

The show started off with “Same Old Story,” the highlight of the band’s latest album, No Guts No Glory, released last year. The song is always high energy and fun, but it’s easier to get into later in a set. “Waiting for the Punchline” followed it up, getting the crowd dancing like a good ol’ fashioned hoe.down, as usual. The rest of the set was relatively standard but enjoyable.

The second set got more exciting. It opened with “Rainshine” (which always sounds like “Haze” at the beginning, getting at least one member of the crowd falsely psyched up). It was only the third time this year the song, from moe.’s 2012 album What Happened to the La Las, made it into a setlist, and it ended up being a fun one with a nice heavy jam section.

Then Mihali Savoulidis, Twiddle’s frontman, joined moe. to play “The Road,” giving it more spunk than usual. After a good “Wind It Up,” the band played the first few chords of “meat” before guitar player Al Schnier stopped it and tried to get the whole band to join him in a rendition of the Grateful Dead’s “Eyes of the World.” It didn’t last long — Al’s guitar cohort Chuck Garvey gave up playing and started laughing almost immediately, and Rob seemed to play every note on his bass in hopes some would work. Al gave up and the band proceeded with meat, jamming it through all its funky glory. It transitioned into first a stellar “Billy Goat,” which always gets the crowd singing along to its good-life-advice-y chorus, then “Head,” before finishing up the “meat” sandwich with more rumbling bass and shredding.

The show ended with a quick encore of “Lazarus,” which at this point is somewhere between the old “Lazarus” and the newer “The Bones of Lazarus.” Fans seem to agree that its better than “Bones” but doesn’t yet reach the heights of the storied “Lazarus”es of bygone days.

After a late night, moe.rons had to transition to an early show by moe. standards on Saturday night at the Waterfront. Part of the Lake Champlain Maritime Festival, the show featured a ring of vendors off chuck.side of the stage. Bluegrass jammers Cabinet opened the show with a lot of energy, then passed the stage off to moe.

The band started on a high note with a “Buster” that transitioned into “Spine of a Dog,” two songs that fit well together with the same sort of calypso feel to them.

After finishing up “Spine,” Al made the crowd turn around to view the amazing sunset, burning across the sky with bright pinks, oranges and yellows. “We’ll give you a second,” he said. “Look at this. This is fantastic.”

Rob joked that they just wanted to see everyone’s asses.

Then they played the lighter “Blonde Hair and Blue Eyes” before they got down and dirty with Rob slapping the shit out of his bass on “Not Coming Down.” That transitioned into “Wormwood” > “Deep This Time” > “Downward Facing Dog” to finish out the set with a whole lot of head bobbing and dancing.

Set two opened with moe.’s funnest song, “Seat of My Pants,” which was bouncy and fun with all the springy octave jumps and just enough down and dirty rocking. There may have been a brief tease to the theme song for Sesame Street. It almost sounded like it was going to go into “Rebubula,” but instead it continued into “Dr. Graffenberg.” Sometime in there, a crew of audience members dressed as sea life paraded through the crowd and made their way to the front, dancing there briefly before ebbing back to the sea (one can only assume). Besides that, Graffenberg was as whimsical and rockin’ as ever.

Band members then took the set down a notch with the slow but beautiful “Where Does the Time Go?” Some consider this a bathroom song while others enjoy it wholeheartedly, getting lost in the nostalgic melody and skillfully written lyrics.

Then “Tubing the River Styx” segued into a smokin’ “The Pit” that transitioned into a lighter tone with “Kyle’s Song.” Then “Gone” segued into “Do or Die” with a pensive jam that featured the lights going down and the band playing in silhouette against the backdrop.
During al.nouncements, Al read a note that wished someone named Erica a happy birthday and said, “PS- San Ber’dino.” And almost immediately other band members started playing parts of the Frank Zappa tune, and they went right into it when Al’s announcements wrapped up. Then they wrapped up the show with “Happy Hour Hero,” a great song that has a laid-back melody, sending the crowd off to some Twiddle or just one more bottle.

It’s always a treat when moe. plays Burlington, and this weekend run was one for the books!
Friday, Aug. 7 at Higher Ground

I.
Same Old Story
Waiting for the Punchline
Okayalright>
Big World>
Ricky Marten
MarDema>
George
II.
Rainshine
The Road*
Wind It Up
meat.**
Billy Goat>
Head>
meat.
E: Lazarus

Saturday, Aug. 8 at the Burlington Waterfront
I.
Buster>
Spine of a Dog
Blond Hair and Blue Eyes
Not Coming Down>
Wormwood>
Deep This Time>
Downward Facing Dog
II.
Seat of My Pants>
Dr. Graffenberg
Where Does the Time Go?
Tubing the River Styx>
The Pit>
Kyle’s Song
Gone>
Do or Die
E: San Ber’dino
Happy Hour Hero

*Joined by Mihali Savoulidis of Twiddle on guitar.
**Al stopped after the song started and tried to get the band to play the Grateful Dead’s “Eyes of the World.” It didn’t work.

[FinalTilesGallery id=’364′]

August 22, 2015
Twiddle’s Hometown Takeover in Burlington

Coming off the heels of an extensive summer tour which included a gig at Red Rocks and multiple festival appearances, Twiddle took its momentum home to Burlington Vermont for two shows. The quartet played a sunset two-set show at Burlington Waterfront’s Maritime Festival on Friday and a late night party at Higher Ground on Saturday evening. The Twiddle community has grown immensely over the past few years, and it was shown by attendance at both their shows out numbering fellow jam band moe.

Twiddle

Twiddle performed on Friday evening under a breathtaking sunset over Lake Champlain for Burlington’s Maritime Festival. The first of two sets featured an opener of the semi rare “Atlantic Mocean>BBQ>Atlantic Mocean” to get things started. The fan favorite “White Light” followed and featured an extensive jam, with the song clocking in at 19 minutes. “Latin Tang” was up next, and featured a plethora of sit-ins that included Russ Lawton (Soul Monde) on drums, Ray Paczkowski (Soul Monde) on keys, and Dave Grippo (Giant Country Horns) on saxophone. “Lost in the Cold” was played next and was no surprise to anyone, the band has played it 18 times since it was written by lead guitarist Mihali Savoulidis in early 2015. The lyrically inspiring “Hatti’s Jam -> When it Rains, it Pours” closed out the first set in perfect fashion. The jam heavy second set saw Twiddle play 4 songs. “Brick of Barley” opened and featured a great jam. “Gatsby the Great,” a song about keyboardist Ryan Dempsey’s college pet duck came next and showcased the jam of the night, and possibly the weekend. It included classic sandwich of Bela Fleck’s “Big Country” in the middle of the song. After the song ended, fans could be heard cheering “Frankenfoote” and the band responded by closing the set with a smoking version. The band returned for an encore of “Doinkinbonk!!!” before handing things off to moe. over at Higher Ground for their late night set.

Twiddle

The band took to Higher Ground on Saturday evening to play a late night show after moe.’s set at the Maritime Festival. The show opened with an electronic dance party, started by drummer Brook Jordan and dubbed “DJBJ” by Mihali as each remaining band member slowly trickled into the jam. “Mamunes The Faun” was up next, and contained a lengthy jam that was followed by instrumental “The Catapillar.” A cover of the reggae tune “Harder They Come” by Jimmy Cliff saw keyboardist Josh Dobbs sit in and finger the ivories. An excellent version of “Jamflowman” was up next and the set closed with “Bronze Fingers”. Already after midnight, nobody in attendance showed any signs of letting up, the band included. A fiery “Wasabi Eruption” opened the second set and segued into a 20 min version of “The Box,” that contained an amazing jam with a soaring guitar solo from Mihali. The serious song “Tiberius” was next, and was standard but welcomed. The band ended the second set with jammed out rendition of “Cabbage Face” and the slower, lyrical, “Amydst The Myst,” An encore of “Mad World” by British band Tears for Fears closed out a spectacular weekend of music.

Twiddle

Waterfront Park, Burlington, VT – 8.7.2015

Set 1: Atlantic Mocean > BBQ > Atlantic Mocean, White Light, Latin Tang[1], Lost in the Cold, Hatti’s Jam -> When it Rains, it Poors
Set 2: Brick of Barley, Gatsby The Great > Big Country > Gatsby The Great, Frankenfoote
Encore: Doinkinbonk!!!
[1] “Latin Tang” featured Russ Lawton (Soule Monde) on drums, Ray Paczkowski (Soule Monde) on keys and Dave Grippo on saxophone.

Higher Ground, Burlington, VT – 8.8.2015

Set 1: Mamunes the Faun, The Catapillar, Harder They Come[1], Jamflowman, Bronze Fingers
Set 2: Wasabi Eruption, The Box, Tiberius, Cabbage Face, Amydst the Myst
Encore: Mad World
[1] “Harder They Come” featured Josh Dobbs (Cats Under The Stairs) on keys

[FinalTilesGallery id=’376′]

August 18, 2015
Sublime with Rome Rocks Reggae Vibes at CMAC

Sublime with Rome at the beautiful Constellation Brands – Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center (CMAC) Aug. 4, had a very laid back festival vibe going on. Intended or not, that was the feel for the night. And it was just fine.

There were guys and gals from the 20-something age bracket mostly. Flowers in their hair, some bearing bare feet, girls with hula hoops, tie dye and reggae nation shirts decorated the shiny happy people in the venue tonight. Everyone came together this warm yet cloudy summer evening to witness the vibes we know as Mickey Avalon, Pepper, Rebelution and Sublime with Rome.

Sublime with Rome

Pepper heated up the night like the hot tamales trio they are. Mixing things up with rock edge to their reggae, hip-hop sound they immediately hit the stage and got right into the tunes. The only request they had been for the sound guy: “Hey sound guy, this place is made of metal, turn up our bass” ordered front man Kaleo. That’s when their energetic upbeat flare came out and got the crowd going. People were singing along loud and proud. Which resulted in a some excitement, clapping along bopping around and when asked to jump around by the band, the crowd up in the front rows delightfully accommodated. With a tight-knit fast paced set, all in attendance were primed up and ready for more. The band members, a divine mix of fellas, two are from Hawaii and one from San Diego, California. They are now just based out of San Diego, Ca. They definitely seasoned the night with their good vibrations of beach hang tunes, and weekend party anthems. Pepper is: Kaleo Wassman– vocalist/guitarist, Bret Bollinger-vocalist/bassist drummer Yesod Williams. Pepper is still out in support of their 2013 sixth studio album, this one self- titled and released on their own record label Law Records.

Find Pepper at:
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Rebelution comes cruising in from Isla Vista California. The band consists of Eric Rachmany – Guitars, vocals, Marley D. Williams – Bass, Rory Carey – Keyboards,Wesley Finley – Drums and two special guest touring members: Khris Royal – Sax, percussion, Zach Meyerowitz – Trumpet. They are out spreading the love and good vibrations in support of their current release Count Me In Remix EP

These guys came right out and went directly into the set with their signature uplifting rocking, world reggae sound, complete with a two-man brass section. It set the mood for their sway and sing-a-long set. A perfect warm summer breeze that came through completed the “beach” feel to a now full house under the shell, once someone announced for all who were on the lawn to come in due to sprinkles of rain that started during the Pepper set. One would think this would cause chaos, but there were a few seats to be filled. Actually, it worked out quite nicely because well,everyone one was in a peace and love mood while Rebelution sang ‘To blessed to be stressed’. Everyone came together to enjoy the night while beach balls and glow sticks were being tossed around, girls danced enchantingly with their hula hoops. An even cooler aspect to the set, there was a young girl and guy up on stage painting on a canvas while the band played. Rebelution played one song into the next which kept the flow of the night moving in the right direction. They seemingly could have played forever with the amazing energy they contained and the crowds response, neither side seemed like they would have minded if they played all night. Like most things though, it had to come to a beautiful end.

Sublime with Rome

If you want to hear what it sounds like to be blessed with no stress
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Pepper

Once the Sublime with Rome banner was set into place for their arrival. Some serious nostalgia and excitement took over the venue, when a euphoric cheer came about from the crowd. With a bat of the eye they all came out with a sharp set and kicked it off with the infamous single ‘Date Rape’from the Sublime 1992 debut album 40 oz. To Freedom with original front man Bradly Nowell, who passed in 1996 and is dearly missed.

The placed filled right up, fans were in every seat, filled every space and every aisle to come together for the show. Sublime with Rome ripped into a very fast-paced on point-set, all that came to see them we very much into it as everyone sang along to just about every song.

They played approximately 20 songs. Playing a lot of the Sublime hits, ‘Summertime’,” ‘Pawn Shop’, ‘Bad fish‘, and ‘Smoke two joints’. They sprinkled in a few Sublime with Rome songs ‘Same old situation’ from the debut album Yours Truly, with the new front man Rome. Where ever you go off the current release Sirens. They also managed to mix in a Led Zeppelin cover ‘Ramble on’ before taking a break to come back out of and do an encore with ‘Santeria’ and ‘What I got‘,” Rome called out “Rest in Peace Bradly Nowell!”

As it is known, there is a history with Sublime which is how Sublime with Rome came to be. The current members of Sublime with Rome are Rome Ramirez – lead vocals, guitar. Eric Wilson – bass, Josh Freese – drums, percussion. Eric Wilson an original member of Sublime, Rome came to be in 2009. Sublime had to legally change the name to Sublime with Rome due to trademark issues disputed by the Nowell estate. Sublime has toured on and off between albums since 2010. Regardless, it was clear to see Sublime songs and new songs by Sublime with Rome were graciously excepted by all. They keep the feeling and the Sublime spirit musically and tastefully alive.

Discover Sublime with Rome on:

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This evenings show with (Mickey Avalon) Pepper, Rebelution and Sublime with Rome felt like a mini vacation, from the fun-loving crowd that came to see the show, to the bands that came to play. It took you out of your life for a moment and created relaxing fun evening with a not-to-soon to forget atmosphere.

August 18, 2015
Magnaball: Phish Goes All Out for 10th Festival (Updated)

Phish will return to Watkins Glen International this coming weekend to celebrate their 10th festival. Magnaball will be a three day festival held Friday, August 21, through Sunday, August 23. As with past festivals, there will be a multitude of activities outside the music. However, this time around, the band is pulling out all the stops to make their 10th festival extra special.

Music

As with Super Ball IX, there will be seven official sets of music. Set times are as follows:

Friday, August 21 – Two sets beginning at 7:30 pm
Saturday, August 22 – Three sets beginning at 3:00 pm
Sunday, August 23 – Two sets beginning at 7:30 pm

It is expected that there will be an unofficial, unannounced “secret set” occurring sometime late Saturday night, similar to the “Storage Jam” that took place at Super Ball IX.

Food & Drink

Magnaball will feature an upgraded offering of food vendors, focusing on local and regional food vendors. The vendors will be setup throughout the festival grounds, including in the campgrounds. They will feature wood-fired pizza, tamales, crepes, smoothies, burgers and more. The food selection covers many different cuisines from around the world. Cafes will spread throughout the grounds, including 24-hour offerings. As with past festivals, there will be a farmer’s market on site selling local produce, baked goods and other pre-made food and drink.

In addition to the upgraded selection of food vendors, Magnaball will feature a full service restaurant called Festival Ate. Five-course, prix-fixe dinners will be available each night of the festival. The Steam dinner on Saturday night will feature pairings with five different beers from Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Sixpoint Brewing, including a Bière de Garde and an Imperial Porter brewed with Stumptown coffee. The restaurant will also be open from 10 am to 1 am each day with an attached bar. Attendees can stop by for a light bite to eat. Festival Ate will be managed by LOFO, a farm-to-table restaurant in Syracuse, N.Y.

Magnaball will feature a craft cocktail program with Phish-inspired drinks, such as The Red Red Worm and Satan on the Beach. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.’s FOAM lager will return. Additional beer selections include brews from Vermont favorites Hill Farmstead Brewery from Greensboro Bend, Vt, and Lawson’s Finest Liquids from Warren, Vt. Sixpoint Brewing will also be supplying two of their beers throughout the festival.

Ben & Jerry’s will be on site serving free cups of Phish Food and Save Our Swirled ice cream. They will also be taking signatures to petition the leaders of developed nations to work towards clean energy initiatives.

Free water bottle filling stations will be available around the festival grounds. There will also be filtered water filling stations for $1 per fill for up to 32 ounces. Proceeds will be donated to The WaterWheel Foundation. Magnaball Nalgene bottles will be available for purchase. Use of these bottles will allow free fills from the filtered water stations.

Activities

Magnaball will feature a variety of organized and unorganized activities to keep attendees entertained throughout the festival. Lawn games, game shows, yoga and the JEMP Records Store will all be part of the fun.

Cornhole sets will be available throughout the festival for pickup matches. There is also an organized cornhole tournament planned. Those interested in signing up for the tournament can register a team of two people by sending an email to magnatourney@phish.com. You should provide them with your team name, the names of the team members and a cell phone number at which they can reach you during the festival. The tournament will start on Friday. Teams can also register at the Cornhole Tourney Tent located at the crossroads in the festival grounds.

Studio X is the location for many of the other activities. Free yoga classes will be offered Friday through Sunday at 9:30 am. There will be two trivia game shows held during the weekend. On Friday and Sunday at 11 am, teams of four can compete in Survey Says, a survey-style game show with Phish trivia. On Saturday at 11 am, registration opens for Subtle Sounds – A Name That Phish Gameshow. Contestants will battle it out over naming Phish songs by just a few notes. The game begins at 11:30 am, but is limited to only 54 contestants. It is recommended that you arrive early if you wish to participate.

The JEMP Records Store will once again be a part of this festival. The store will include an exclusive release of Rift on blue vinyl. The release will be packaged with a limited edition screen print by David Welker. Past vinyl releases from Phish and side projects will also be available at the store.

An official US Post Office will be setup on site to allow attendees to mail posters, vinyl and other purchases directly home.

The Glurt Institute and Drive-In

The art installations at Magnaball seem to have a science and energy theme. The Glurt Institute and Laboratory will be setup not far from the concert field. There, attendees can learn about the Gravity Harmonograph and about how the magnaphysics of the vortex pendulum work. Adjacent to the Institute is the Drive-In, a 175-foot widescreen display. Thursday night will be movie night, along with a late night showing on Friday. Movie showtimes are as follows:

Thursday
10:00 pm – The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
Midnight – First Men in the Moon (1964)
2:00 am – The Time Machine (1960)

Friday
3:45 am – Sullivan’s Travels (1942)

Bunny Radio and Webcasts

The Bunny is back for Magnaball. The Phish festival radio station will broadcast locally on 104.9 FM and on SiriusXM’s Jam On. All Phish sets will be broadcast live. Tune in to hear an eclectic mix of tunes, the much-anticipated From the Archives shows and reports from the festival. SiriusXM offers a 30 day free trial for new customers.

For those not attending the festival, LivePhish is offering a webcast of all three days of Magnaball. The webcast can be pre-ordered at http://livephi.sh/Magnaball.

Shuttle

Festival attendees will be able to take a shuttle off site on Friday and Saturday. The shuttle will cost $10 cash only for a round trip and will run on a 40 minute loop into town and back. There will be a very limited number of tickets available, beginning Friday at 8:30 am, at the Merch Check tent next to the Info Booth. If tickets remain, they can be bought at the box office by Gate 4A. The shuttle will make stops in Watkins Glen at 9th and Decatur, Seneca Harbor Park and downtown, Walmart, Shequaga Falls and historic district before returning to Watkins Glen International. The shuttle begins running at 10:00 am and the last bus will return at 6:00 pm Friday and 4:00 pm Saturday.

Tickets for Magnaball have sold out. If you are still looking for a ticket, please visit our friends at Cash or Trade. Volunteer opportunities to gain admittance to the festival are also still available through the the Work Exchange Program and Clean Vibes. Tickets for the dinners at Festival Ate are available from TicketsToday. If you wish to For additional information, please visit http://phish.com/magnaball.

Phish – 7/2/2011 "Tube" from Phish on Vimeo.

August 18, 2015
Aqueous Announces Change in Drummers

Aqueous will be changing drummers after this week.

The band’s current drummer, Ryan Nogle, will be leaving due to health issues. He will be replaced by Tom Vayo, who the band calls an “INCREDIBLE musician/multi instrumentalist.”

Here’s the official announcement the band posted on their Facebook page:

Today, we bring you some important news from camp AQ-
Ryan Nogle will perform his last gig as Aqueous’ drummer this week at Peach Music Festival (strangely enough, the same location that he began his career with us one year ago)- Ryan has a medical condition that is preventing him from continuing on with the band any further; He’s got severe carpel tunnel and nerve damage in both arms, and for the sake of him being able to play drums AT ALL later in life, it will require him to step down from his position as AQ’s drummer.
We’ve been aware of this issue since February of this year, and have in turn been auditioning drummers with the help of Ryan and our previous drummer Nick to find EXACTLY the right fit for our sound; We are very in tune with the fact that our friendships offstage directly dictate the quality of our music, and have searched high and low for someone who not only has the chops, but also fits within our cannon of friendliness, drive, and creative vision that we care so deeply about- I’m happy to report that we’ve all come to agree that Buffalo’s own Tom Vayo will replace Ryan as Aqueous’ long term drummer. Tom is an INCREDIBLE musician/multi instrumentalist, and shares our same drive, passion, and commitment to putting on the best shows possible every night, and to writing the best music we can for you guys- He was a natural choice after auditioning many different drummers, and we are thrilled and excited to have him join our family!
That being said, it’s important that we take a moment and appreciate how much Ryan (and his family) have done for Aqueous both offstage and onstage for YEARS. Although Ryan has only been performing as a full-time member for one year, he is behind ALL of our studio and live releases, has repaired and or built half the equipment we’ve used since our inception, been our live audio engineer for many shows, and has been a close friend and supporter of the band for nearly a decade. Even though the scenario is tough, we here at AQ headquarters all feel incredibly grateful that our friendships are stronger than ever and that we can all move forward with each others’ help- Our new drummer Tom has been spending time with us on the road and at shows, and is working directly with Ryan in multiple facets to come in strongly as he steps up to the huge task of filling Ryan’s shoes. We’re all confident that he’s the man for the job, and we look very forward to the exciting future ahead.
We appreciate everyone’s sympathy and understanding with this situation; it was absolutely beyond any of our control, but we feel poised to welcome in the next chapter of our already exciting story. We wish to truly thank Ryan for his dedication and his incredible talent, and to thank you good folks for sticking with us through the obstacles over the years- We really, really do appreciate it. Here’s some words from Ryan himself:
“It’s hard for me to comprehend that a year has already passed since I joined Aqueous. All the shows and people I’ve met; it’s almost like a blur. August 15th we’ll be playing at Peach MusicFest in Scranton. Right back where I started from one year ago. It was a spectacular experience. My second show since officially joining the band. What I had longed for, and worked toward for so long had finally come to fruition. I was touring with a band playing drums. Not just any band though. The band that I wanted desperately to be a part of since the first time I mixed sound for them at a dumpy little theatre back in 2007. My patience had paid off. The transition was easy. These guys were already my best friends. There was no awkward “get to know you” phase. Just four friends on a stage making some heavy duty music. I’ve jammed with these guys in various formats over the years but nothing compared to actually being part of this well-oiled machine. As time passed and more shows were performed, it just kept getting better. The music expanded and became more adventurous. Chances were being taken. It was phenomenal. Now we fast forward to a year later. Heading back to Scranton for another go round. It’s hard to imagine that this will in fact be my final performance with Aqueous. Leaving this band is the last thing I ever thought I’d be doing. This past year has been one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling years of my life. I’ve met the most incredible people on the road and have played some of the coolest gigs I could have ever imagined. I have friends all over the country now that I would always look forward to seeing at shows. That aspect is one of the most difficult parts to come to terms with. Those we meet in our lives help define who we are as humans and help shape and create these experiences. Interacting with all of you who I have met on the road have contributed to some of my favorite memories. I thank every single person who I’ve met on this journey for your kindness and support. I have experienced so much love from this community. I also thank Mike, Dave, Evan, and Josh for giving me the opportunity to be thrown into this unique life and truly “live the dream.” Without you guys, I would have just been some chump making noise in his basement. I appreciate everything that life has given me and bare no negative feelings about how things have played out. I loved every moment of this experience and those memories will last a lifetime.
Thank you for those memories.” Ryan J. Nogle
Much love everyone, see you out there-
Mike, Dave, Evan, Ryan, and Tom

Ryan will definitely be missed. Here’s a video of him rocking out “Don’t Do It” last week in Buffalo:

And another of one of his great solos at Buffalo Ironworks last year:

August 10, 2015
Dark Star Orchestra Holds First Stadium Show at Rochester’s Frontier Field

Dark Star Orchestra celebrated a milestone playing their first stadium show while also setting an attendance record for themselves July 28, when they played Rochester’s Frontier Field. Set up on the third base line and facing the seats with no access to the field, DSO recreated the 1987 Dead show played at Rochester’s Silver Stadium on July 2, 1987.

Fans of the band took to social media shortly before the show began to spread the word that Frontier Field had announced they were not allowing concert goers on the field. Word spread quickly and people wondered how the stage would be set up.

All anybody had to do to squelch that concern was enter the venue and see the stage facing the third base seats. Concerns fell to the way side, the crowd was a cohesive body of dancing and celebration.

The unique set up allowed for an intimate feel of an indoor show, in a stadium, accompanied by a beautiful summer night with clear skies. They were dancing in their seats, on the grass and at the concession stands – ‘The music never stopped.’

As at all DSO shows, concertgoers scrambled to figure out which set list the band would choose to play at their first stadium show. Once “Bertha” began just after a rockin’ “Hell In A Bucket,” we all knew they had chosen the July 7, 1987 Silver Stadium show. A show that was near and dear to the Rochester Deadhead community, as it was part of a pair of shows played here by the Grateful Dead in 87′ and 88′.

Rochester couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful night of music and Dead tunes. The show was a family event for many in attendance with babies and big kids dancing and hula hooping by the sides of their mamas and papas, all glowing with happiness. DSO not only recreates the shows of the Grateful Dead but they embody the energy of the band and the community that surrounds them. Dark Star Orchestra is no cover band, they are an extension of the ones who played before them.

Dark Star Orchestra, recereating 7/2/87 Silver Stadium, at Frontier Field – Rochester, NY

Set 1: Hell In A Bucket > Bertha, Walkin’ Blues, Dire Wolf, My Brother Esau, When Push Comes To Shove, Tons Of Steel, Me & My Uncle > Mexicali Blues, Brown Eyed Women, Cassidy, Deal

Set 2: China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Samson & Delilah, Looks Like Rain, He’s Gone > Jam > Drums > Space > Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad > All Along The Watchtower > Stella Blue > Sugar Magnolia, E: Black Muddy River

August 9, 2015
20 years in 4 days: A Gathering of the Vibes 2015 Recap

The 20th annual Gathering of the Vibes Music Festival made quite the statement this past weekend, bringing upwards of 20,000 people from all over the world to gather along the shores of Seaside Park in Bridgeport. Starting out as nothing more than a Jerry Garcia memorial, Gathering of the Vibes has blown up beyond the tri-state area over the past 20 years, providing attendees with a weekend of memories, meditation, and music. In celebration of Vibes’ past, here’s the breakdown of Gathering of the Vibes 2015, in a more present setting.

Thursday, July 30

Along with a powerful spirit, the opening day of Vibes brought a heavy amount of rain. Not a chill to the winter but a nip to the air, thousands of musical inhabitants set up camp and made their way towards Main Stage to experience the jazzy timbre of Ryan Montbleau’s voice. After a torrential (but brief) downpour, the sun made a rather profound return throughout Seaside Park, drying up tent flys and restoring the sunny disposition of each festival-goer. Max Creek took to the stage after Ryan Montbleau, performing several of their hits, including “Blood Red Roses” as well as a cover of “Peace Train” by Cat Stevens. It was also quite surprising to see a Max Creek band member rap suddenly, but boy was he good.

As bright stage lights, glowing hula hoops, and light up bracelets illuminated the audience, Dark Star Orchestra played around 9pm with an intensity only understood by those who have seen them live. Featuring tunes like “Franklin’s Tower,” “Scarlet Begonias,” and “Fire on the Mountain,” each audience member spun with delight, dancing with their friends as well as strangers to the triumphant anthems of the Grateful Dead. While most Dark Star Orchestra shows throw in a few surprises, no one in the audience was prepared for the intensity coming from DSO member Lisa Mackey’s diaphragm as she belted out her soul throughout their set. As audience members begged for more before closing out the evening, DSO also threw in a dash of Bob Dylan, putting their own spin on “Tangled Up In Blue” and “Forever Young.” After an already packed night of great music, and a continuation of music featuring some late night jammers, campers slowly drifted off to sleep to recharge for another dawn of music, and of course, good vibes.

Friday, July 31

As the morning mist lay across Seaside’s waters, Twiddle brought an amplified alarm to sleeping campers around 11am from the Main Stage. Though their set time was much shorter than it should have been, adoring fans were pleased to hear a selection of songs from their 2011 album, entitled Somewhere On the Mountain, including its title track. Shortly after Twiddle finished their set, many fled to the food area for some decent breakfast food. However, before returning to the Main Stage to see The Word around noon, a vibrant new sound came from the School of Rock tent, known as the Funky Dawgz Brass Band. Whether they crowded dozens of fans in the performance tent or into the streets of the main drag as they played in between artist sets, many Vibers were grateful to experience a new and lively group to be added to the Vibes family, especially one that channeled a college frat.

For those who wanted a slight change of pace, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings graced the stage around 2:45pm, bringing a jazzier breath of air to the cloud of funk left behind from The Word and Funky Dawgz. With great enthusiasm to their latest release, entitled Give the People What They Want, Sharon and the Dap-Kings didn’t play many of their more notable tunes, and not many people from the crowd could recite the lyrics back to them. Still, the diverse spectrum of musical style changed from song to song, bringing the audience members from a steady sway to a jumping jive within a matter of minutes, which was definitely a treat to witness.

Following shortly after, blues enthusiasts filled the front of Main Stage in preparation for the Tedesci Trucks Band. Joe Cocker as well as Sly & the Family Stone fans were quite pleased by the Tedeschi Trucks set, after they performed covers of both “The Letter” and “Sing a Simple Song/I Want to Take You Higher.” To top it all off, they also covered “Let’s Go Get Stoned” by the Coasters, which both surprised and excited many audience members. Their set was also a great segway into Greg Allman’s set, where Derek Trucks himself was invited up to play “Southbound,” an Allman Brothers Band classic. Other songs included in Greg Allman’s set included “Come and Go Blues,” “Stand Back,” “Melissa,” and the great “Midnight Rider.” Though many would have been satisfied ending the night there, it was the String Cheese Incident that closed out Friday night, with one of the most impressive light shows to date. Having featured guests like David Grisman and Peter Rowan, the amount of white beards, yodeling, and intense mandolin playing was astronomical. Even if the music was too fast to dance to, let’s just say everyone tried anyway.

Saturday, August 1

Despite being three days into the festival, there didn’t seem to be any loss of energy whatsoever from Saturday morning’s crowds. After a warming up from Kung Fu, Deep Banana Blackout and Moon Hooch graced the Main and Green stage for equally memorable performances. As a veteran as well as a newbie to the Gathering of the Vibes family, Deep Banana Blackout and Moon Hooch’s sets showed great stage presence, as well as unbelievable musicianship. Upon hearing Moon Hooch’s “Number 9,” everyone who was once sitting rose to their feet, and anyone who was stopping around the Green Vibes area moved immediately to the stage to listen in. After an electric performance of jazzy house by Moon Hooch and the soulful growl of Jen Durkin, the Gaslight Anthem secured a spot as one of the first punk/heartland rock bands to take the Main Stage. Though many Deadheads may have left the scene, the crowd that was left certainly greeted the Gaslight Anthem with opening arms, singing along to their songs “Mulholland Drive,” “Sweet Morphine,” and “The ’59 Sound.” Despite being the odd band of the bunch, the Gaslight Anthem brought even more artistic diversity to the festival, provided some musical contrast, and more importantly, got everyone ready for Wilco.

In between set changes, it’s really hard not to notice music from the opposite stage, and sometimes following it will lead you to a brilliant discovery. In the case of Vibes, that discovery was known as Turkuaz. Before heading back to see Wilco, many jazz and funk fans perused over to check out this 9-piece ensemble. After the release of their EP Stereochrome, Turkuaz rallied all the audience dancers for their tune “Tiptoe Through the Crypto” and included their hit song “Bubba Slide.” The energy this group brings to the stage is unmatched, and whether each audience member was an adoring fan or a passer-by, there was heads bopping all over the Green Vibes area. If you don’t know these cats already, you should.

Wilco opened their set around 9:15pm on the Main Stage, opening with a selection of songs from their 2015 release, entitled Star Wars. Songs such as “EKG, “”Random Name Generator,” and “More…” were played surprisingly early in the set, which left room for earlier repertoire later in the set, including “Jesus, etc.” and “California Stars.” It was also quite a surprise to see Warren Haynes join in on their final number, along with Joe Russo on drums.

Though they should have just stayed on stage, Warren Haynes was sure to make a grand entrance for his set featuring the Seaside All-Stars: George Porter Jr., Branford Marsalis, Jackie Greene, Joe Russo, and Marco Benevento. Along with adding Eric Krasno from Soulive to the mix of musicians, the ensemble did a variety of cover songs, including “Karma Police” by Radiohead, “Tough Mama” by Bob Dylan, “Dreams” by the Allman Brothers Band, and “King Solomon’s Marbles” by the Grateful Dead. Not only did this large ensemble attract fans of every genre, but each song was a new puzzle to be unraveled, with their tricky interludes and extensive solos to mask the melody. With such a unique group of musicians, there’s no doubt that this performance was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and it was a great way to close out Saturday night.

Sunday, August 2

As Gathering of the Vibes came to a close on Sunday, many people took advantage of the single day ticket, making it a rather crowded atmosphere. It was odd seeing excited arrivals of people mixed in with dirty, tuckered out campers in one last attempt to rally for the great sets scheduled that day. After a long night of music by Lettuce and a visit to the beach for Silent Disco (it’s exactly what you think: music being projected through wireless headphones so no one on the outside of the listeners can hear it), it was not hard to notice the slow pace of Sunday. Luckily, the announcement of Weezer coming to the Main Stage around 3:45pm brought enough spark to pump that last bit of energy. Along with performing their new songs, including “Back to the Shack,” they also made plenty of room for their best throwbacks, including “Hash Pipe,” “Say It Ain’t So,” “Pork and Beans,” and “Beverly Hills.” For their encore, they even remembered to play “Buddy Holly,” which completed the list of songs Weezer fans wanted to hear.

For one of the final bands of the night, singer-songwriter Ben Harper teamed up with a large ensemble to create Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals. As people packed up their campsites and finished their final beers, Ben Harper kept the positive vibes through the full band versions of hit songs, including “Steal My Kisses” and “Ground On Down.”

As the sun set over Vibes for the last time, Harper closed out with his song “Better Way,” and it was finally time to head home. Seeing so many bands perform was both enticing and overwhelming at the same time, making leaving Vibes even more bittersweet. The range of genre, popularity, age, and background is what makes Gathering of the Vibes separate from other festivals. After 20 years, Gathering of the Vibes has remained one of Connecticut’s most well-known festivals, and it’s attention to bringing about change while discovering your own inner peace is what will bring success for future gatherings to come. Until next time, thank you vibes for a real good time.

August 8, 2015